Peter Fluor always likes returning to Santa Anita Park, having grown up in Arcadia, Calif. It's even better when he comes to see a horse like Cavalieri, who kept her record perfect in winning the March 8 B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) for Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stable.
Trainer Bob Baffert ran one-two in the race with Cavalieri and Richi, despite the presence of shippers and graded winners Tarifa and Hoosier Philly. Cavalieri is a lightly raced 4-year-old who didn't make her debut until last August, while Richi is a well-tested 5-year-old who won a group 1 race in her native Chile by 10 lengths.
Nevertheless, Cavalieri, with her perfect 3-for-3 record, went off as the 11-10 favorite over 3-1 Richi. Baffert said he told jockey Antonio Fresu that the only way he and Richi could beat Cavalieri and jockey Juan Hernandez is "you're going to have to steal it."
They tried. Richi went right to the front and set all of the fractions. But Cavalieri never let her stablemate get more than a length ahead. Richi completed the first quarter-mile in :22.56 and the half-mile in :46.24 in a race that ultimately came down solely to a competition between the two Baffert trainees.
Hernandez roused Cavalieri in the second turn, but Richi looked like she had plenty in reserve. Richi couldn't hold off Cavalieri, who ranged up outside of her rival and scored by three-quarters of a length in 1:34.96. Richi finished 5 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place Tarifa.
"I could tell in the paddock that Richi was going to run big," Baffert said. "The other mare is just a big, long filly. We developed her slowly and she'll get better."
Hernandez has piloted Cavalieri in all of her races, including her victory in the Jan. 19 La Canada Stakes (G3). He also rode Richi in her United States debut, when she finished second in the 2024 Desert Stormer Stakes. Richi won the Jan. 4 Las Flores Stakes (G3) and ran third in the Feb. 1 Santa Monica Stakes (G2) for other jockeys.
"Richi, Bob's other filly, is a really nice filly," Hernandez said. "I was tracking her, and to be honest, I was riding hard and I wanted her to pick it up. My filly just gave me another gear at the eighth pole, and she won the race. She is getting better, and she showed that today."
Baffert has trained such runners as 2017 Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) winner Collected and 2019 Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Roadster for Speedway.
"We knew it would be a tough race," Fluor said. "As I told my son and daughter-in-law, 'All I can tell you is we'll be running at the end.' Now we'll see what happens. But getting a grade 1 is obviously a great deal for a filly and a big deal for Speedway."
Fluor and Weiner, who was unable to attend the Beholder Mile, bought Cavalieri under the Speedway banner for $900,000 from the Wavertree Stables consignment at the 2023 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. The filly had previously sold for $170,000 to Redwings Enterprises at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Alastar Thoroughbred bred Cavalieri in Kentucky from the stakes-winning and Stephen Got Even mare Stiffed. Alastar had purchased Stiffed in foal to Pioneerof the Nile for $320,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Cavalieri is her second graded stakes winner from two foals to race, having previously produced the grade 2-winning Arrogate daughter Affirmative Lady.
Cavalieri and Tenma, also trained by Baffert, are 2025 graded stakes winners sired by Nyquist , whose earlier stakes winners include Eclipse Award winners Immersive and Vequist. Nyquist stands for a 2025 stud fee of $175,000 at Darley near Lexington.
Video: B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile S. presented by FanDuel TV (G1)
Air Force Red, Eagles Flight Soar
Following the Beholder Mile, late-running Air Force Red closed from sixth to win the $101,000 San Simeon Stakes (G3T) by a length over longshot Lovesick Blues. Sorrento Sky was third.
The winner, a 7-year-old son of Air Force Blue out of the Mizzen Mast mare Mesana, ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:12.99 under Armando Ayuso over Santa Anita's downhill turf course. He paid $11.80 to win.
Leonard Powell trains him for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Holly Golightly.
Then, in race 10, Eagles Flight improved to 2-for-3, rolling to victory in a first-level allowance optional claimer. A 4-year-old colt by Curlin out of graded stakes winner Feathered, Eagles Flight is a half brother to 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline and is campaigned by Hronis Racing, breeder Summer Wind Equine, and William Farish. John Sadler trains Eagles Flight, as he did Flightline during his racing career.
Eagles Flight ran a mile under Umberto Rispoli in 1:35.14 and paid $4 for a $2 win wager.
